The Stars in our Sky and Other Shining Things
by Summer Leigh Wind
Summary: A collection of Harry Potter stories written from the prompts of the "Astronomy Classroom" in the "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)" forum.
1. Night Talk

_**Night Talk**_

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**The stars are beautiful, but they are also very helpful. In ancient times, people used the stars to navigate and find their way home when they were lost. Your Assignment: Write about a character who is lost (physically or emotionally) and finds their way. **

**Use these three prompts: night, eternity, void.**

**Characters: Daphne and Astoria Greengrass**

**... ... ...**

Daphne wandered the grounds of her family's Swiss manor a lot these days; especially at night when the nightmares (memories) came to her. She was there during the battle. She killed a Death-Eater that had chased her and her younger sister. They were purebloods and their family had _supported _that bastard's cause, but had that been enough? No. Voldemort had wanted her father. Wanted her mother. Wanted even her and Astoria. Silent agreement and passivity did not appease a madman, especially not during a battle where every soldier counts.

Sometimes, Daphne mused that maybe she could have stayed in England with her parents if she hadn't used a curse that was counted as an unforgivable to kill the Death-Eater who had wanted to force her sister and she out onto the field to fight. Maybe if Daphne had used that cutting spell that rumor said Harry Potter cast on Draco, she could have stayed home (it nearly killed the Malfoy heir, but the Golden Boy had faced not a single repercussion for it). Maybe she and her sister could have gone back to school and finished their studies.

(_"I would be sending you and your sister even if it wasn't mandatory Daphne! So stop telling me what **my **family should do and listen to me you damnable girl! You need an education more than anything else in this godforsaken world!"_)

School would be starting again soon. Her father had written that some of the seventh years who hadn't gotten to finish their education the year before would be going back to school for an eighth year. Daphne wished she could go too now. The teenager had to chuckle then, she had never once liked school. Hated charms. Loathed transfiguration. Disliked herbology, flying, history of magic, defense against the dark arts, runes; and Daphne had thought potions was a waste. Why did she need to learn to make them when she could just buy them? She'd leave the brewing to someone who actually cared, thank you very much. All Daphne had cared about was care of magical creatures and finding the most attractive, richest, smartest boy that would take her and call her his girlfriend.

Taking a seat on the marble bench by the forsythia shrubs, the teenager wished they were still in bloom. That was why she'd picked this spot when she and Astoria had come here. Because it had soothed her to look at the pretty, bright flowers in the dark void of the night. They were gone now that summer was drifting into autumn. However, Daphne wasn't interested in finding a new place to rest and watch the night pass; she had grown accustom to this spot and she didn't like the idea of having to adapt once again to a foreign place that would overwhelm Daphne with new smells, sights, sounds and feelings.

Watching the night go, the teenager turned her head at the sound of feet swishing through grass. Looking into the darkness, she saw her sister; Astoria. Scooting over on the bench, she asked her "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep," her little sister admitted as she sat down beside Daphne. "What about you?" Astoria questioned as she brushed back a lock of limp brown hair.

"Same reason as always."

Her sister nodded. And for a while, they sat quietly beside one another, but unlike some nights where the younger joined her, the silence did not stretch on for eternity. Instead, Astoria said "You got to let it go Daphne, you did what you had to do. It was war."

Turning on her sister, the teenager snapped; "If that is so, then why did they want to take me to court!? They were going to treat me just as they would have the Malfoys if those bastards hadn't the money to bribe them off and Harry Potter's good word!" Standing up, Daphne began to pace under the stars. "How can I let something go when they all think I did it on purpose for a selfish reason? Huh Astoria? Tell me!"

Eyes reflecting the crescent moon above them, Daphne's sister shook her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't know how you must feel...but I believe you didn't do it on purpose. Doesn't that count for anything?"

Some of the anger left the teenager. "In a week you can go back to school," she murmured. "Will you?"

"Only if you want me to," Astoria answered truthfully. "I don't want to leave you all alone out here while mum and papa try and sort out the mess - it'd get lonely for you, I think."

Looking to the ground between her bare toes, Daphne muttered; "I'd be fine."

"Are you sure?" Her younger sister prodded. "You're so used to being in the company of crowds and here..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

Daphne knew the answer. Here she would be all alone. A girl in a manor that should house several, if not a small platoon. "Just because I like being with people doesn't mean that I can't handle being alone," the teenager grumbled at her sister. "I can be just as happy with myself as I am with a group!" Spiteful, she spat; "Unlike _you _little miss 'I need to study every single day of my life'! I bet you'd be crying by the end of the week spent totally with company! You'd say 'why can't I go to my room for a little bit and read my books? Or-or study astronomy!'"

Unhappily, her sister glared at her; the light in her eyes bordering on malicious. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to study the stars for a living! It's better aspiration than marrying the richest man I can so I can sit on my arse all day!"

The teenager curled her hands into fists. Never had she wanted to hit her little sister so much! She was far too kind, far too understanding...she had to get rid of Astoria. Astoria would get in the way of her mourning. Despite all that mum and papa were doing in England, Daphne knew she wouldn't get to go home. England was trying to get rid of as many Death-Eaters and Death-Eater children as they could right now (it didn't matter if her parents were only sympathizers and never actual enemies). She would be forced to live out the rest of her life in Switzerland.

But Astoria...she could go _home_. She could be happy and live with their parents, finish her schooling, marry someone who she loved...essentially, her sister would get to live the life Daphne always wanted.

Yes, she was beginning to understand. Her sister could go home and live a normal life...and who was Daphne to deprive her of that? She'd already ruined her sister's summer by making her stay here with her as she moped about, was she really going to ruin her school year the same way? No. Daphne was not that kind of sister. Astoria would go back home. To Hogwarts. She would get to finish school (as their mum had wanted _both _of them to do).

So with a shaking breath, she looked to her little sister and said. "Leave me."

"What?"

Angry, Daphne waved a fist at her sister. "Leave you little brat! I don't need you!"

"Fine," Astoria sniffled. "Fine stay here all alone and pity yourself like a _stupid _child!" And the girl ran off back to their family's manor.

Staying there in the night, Daphne sat back down on her bench and looked to the pin-prick lights in the sky.

"I guess I'll have to do with just your for company, won't I?"

The stars said nothing.

* * *

**First and foremost, what do you guys think? Is it believable? Interesting?**

**Alright, let me see if I can't explain this fic a bit to you guys...so I joined this forum called "****Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)" and in this forum you can pick to be a "student" and participate in "classes" where they give you writing prompts that are later graded and depending on how well you do, the "house" you were sorted into will get points.**

******As of right now, I am part of the Astronomy Class, ****Divination Class, **and Care of Magical Creatures Class; I will have a different story for each class. So all the chapters****** will likely be unrelated in this fic due to what the prompts for Astronomy are...**

******Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. Glow Dimmed

_**Glow Dimmed**_

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**Though the stars shine with their own light, even the brightest star is hidden by daylight. Your Assignment: Write about a character who is overshadowed by someone else.**

**Characters: Dean Thomas, OC**

**... ... ...**

Closing a drawing and poster cluttered door, a woman pointed the boy with her to the bottom of a bunk bed. Eyes downcast, he went and plopped down. Taking the roll desk chair across from him, the woman crossed her plump arms and sat silently.

After a time, the boy looked up, his brown eyes doleful. "I'm sorry mum," he whispered.

Sagging a little, the boy's mother turned her gaze to the window; outside a man and his dog walked by, the distant sound of an ambulance reaching her ears. Briefly, she wondered if it was going toward town or toward them. Looking back to her son then, she sighed, "I thought the school was supposed to _stop _these 'accidents'."

"It is!" He cried, "it is..."

Rubbing her hand across her face, the woman grumbled "It's not cheap Dean - even with the scholarship they were kind enough to give us."

"I know," the boy replied glumly.

Glaring at her son, Dean's mother remarked "I don't know what the point of sending you is if you can't control it after a year of day-in and day-out practice."

"Mum, _please_," The boy begged in a hoarse voice. "I was just-just _upset, _you know? You're paying them all so much more attention! I get that their younger...but mum, you haven't even _asked _about school until now! And half the time during the school year you didn't answer my letters!"

Standing up, Dean's mother hissed "Are you saying I'm a bad mother? _Me? _I raised you all up on my own for six years and it wasn't like your daddy ever left us with anything! So sue me if _your _little brothers and sister keep me so busy that I can't read every single letter you send me. I _try _Dean, I _try, _but Darren works evenings and I work days, we're lucky if we get to see each other for more than a couple hours! I write back as often as I can, but I just don't have the same amount of time on my hands as you do!"

Dean shrank back. What could he say? His mum's explanation was...fair. He really _couldn't _expect her to write back every time he wrote her a letter during the school year; but what about when he was home? Couldn't she at least _smile _at him when he came into the room (like she did for Michael, Trevor and Tania)?

"Okay mum," he whispered.

Nodding as if satisfied, his mother went to the door. "I want you to stay in here until dinner," she told him. "Turning you're little brother's toy horn into a snake was awful and dangerous."

"But I didn't mean-!"

It was too late. She opened the door, stepped out and slammed it shut before he could even finish his argument. Now alone, he flopped back and buried his face in a pillow that had to be Trevor's (he was the one who liked Pokemon, not Michael). For a time, Dean just lay there trying to settle the overwhelming flow of emotions that came at him from every direction. His mum didn't love his brothers and sister more than him...she _couldn't. _That was _evil, _right? And mum was always telling him to be good or he'd pay for his sins by going to hell.

If she wanted him to be good, that must mean she was trying to be good too. Mum was scared of hell, just like him. So she wouldn't let the little kids _intentionally _takeover her time; it just happened. Of course, none of this mattered too much in the moment. All that mattered was Dean felt he was lesser to his siblings and was contemplating running away to London.

He'd probably wimp out before he even tried.

(probably)

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**I felt it would be fun to write about a lesser character, such as Dean Thomas who's life isn't as well known as say, Ron Weasley or Neville Longbottom. How do you like my use of the prompt? Does Dean feel thoroughly over-shadowed by his siblings? Or could it be made more poignant?**

**Now I get these prompts from the "Astronomy Classroom" of the "****Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)" forum.**

******To reviewers, The Dark One Rising, KodeV, Madlenita and Nymphxdora; thanks you guys because you totally didn't have to review and I really appreciate it!**

******Thank you all for reading and please review!**


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